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Word Problems for 5th Graders

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Multi-step stories with whole numbers, multiplying and dividing big numbers, remainders, and money and measurement problems with decimals.

Download the word problems for 5th graders worksheets

Multi-step word problems

Two and three steps with whole numbers.

Multiplication and division

Multi-digit multiplication, 2-digit divisors and remainders.

Decimal and money word problems

Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals.

GCF and LCM word problems

Identical groups and things that happen together.

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these word problems for 5th graders worksheets

Fifth grade word problems take more than one step and use bigger numbers: a theater with 23 rows of 27 seats plus 12 balcony seats, a class sharing 330 stickers among 18 students, or change from $20.00 after buying 6 notebooks at $2.51 each. Children decide what to do first, then write each step.

Many stories use decimals, especially money: adding prices, finding change, multiplying a price by a number of items and sharing a bill. Division stories make children decide what a remainder means: round up for buses, drop it for full teams, or report it as the amount left over.

Every page gives each story a work box and an answer box with its unit. The answer key writes out every step, so you can see where a mistake happened.

Standards

  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NBT.B.5Fluently multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NBT.B.6Find whole-number quotients of whole numbers with up to four-digit dividends and two-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NBT.B.7Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used.
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.OA.A.2Write simple expressions that record calculations with numbers, and interpret numerical expressions without evaluating them. For example, express the calculation "add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2" as 2 × (8 + 7). Recognize that 3 × (18932 + 921) is three times as large as 18932 + 921, without having to calculate the indicated sum or product.

How to use them

  1. Ask children to say the steps in words before writing numbers.
  2. Use Multi-Step Word Problems for whole numbers and Money Word Problems for decimals.
  3. Use Remainder Word Problems to talk about what a remainder means in each story.
  4. Ask for an estimate first, then check the answer against it.

Teaching tips

  • Find the question first, then the numbers you need.
  • Write money with two decimal places: $4.50, not $4.5.
  • A remainder can mean one more (buses), nothing (full teams) or the answer itself (left over).

Questions teachers and parents ask

What word problems do 5th graders solve?

Multi-step problems with all four operations, multi-digit multiplication and division by 2-digit numbers, and problems with decimals and money.

How should children show their work?

Write one equation for each step, with the answer to that step boxed, then write the final answer with its unit.

Are there answer keys?

Yes. Every page has a key on page 2 with each step written out.